Key fobs are known in the art for remotely transmitting a radio frequency signals to an automobile. Such signals may instruct the vehicle to lock or unlock its doors, open a trunk compartment, sound the horn, or start the engine, for example.
Known key fobs include a button to be pushed for de-latching the ignition key. One major problem may be that anyone, including family members, such as one's teenage children, can pick up the key, access the automobile, and readily operate it.
One other potential problem with known key fobs is that non-family members, such as, co-workers, someone who may find one's lost key fob may easily find the automobile, and operate it without any hindrance.
There are a myriad of prior art patents and patent application publications in the key fob space. One such piece of prior art is U.S. Pat. No. 6,016,676 to McConnell, in which is disclosed a universal key fob that includes a housing to which is mountable one of a plurality of accessories. A key shank is mountable to the housing in order to provide a key head fob. Another piece of prior art is U.S. Patent Application publication 2006/0023442 to De Los Santos et al. in which a key fob for keyless entry into an automobile includes a substantially rigid housing having an outer surface with a ridge or a recess. Signal transmission circuitry is disposed within the housing and is operable to transmit a signal to the automobile. A flexible shell includes a cavity in which the housing is at least partially received, is disclosed
What is lacking in the automobile key fob space and is needed in the art is a key fob that allows a secure way of accessing the ignition key, in order to protect against the use of the automobile by anyone not authorized to operate the automobile.